Two Air Mail letters, both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Both letters are addressed to Beloe (author of the 1960 Beloe Report - education at The Hill House, Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. The subject of the two letters is a letter from George Washington to Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie, Belvoir, 7 March 1754, beginning ''Honble. Sir | If the Vessel you Honour hir'd of Colo. Eyre has not left York'. The letter is now at Mount Vernon. ONE: Hotson's letter, signed 'Leslie Hotson'. 29 January 1955. 1p., 12mo.

Mount Wilson Observatory, Los Angeles County, California, USA. None of the prints dated (1940s?). Two of the five photographic images dated 1919.

£4,500.00

Five black and white prints, all laid down on mount and in glass frame. Later prints (1940s) rather than the early silver gelatin ones. Each with manuscript caption at foot of mount, and Negative Number written in manuscript on reverse of frame. Each print in excellent condition. All five behind glass in worn plain black frames. From the papers of Charles Chilton, the creator and producer of the influential BBC Radio series 'Journey into Space' (1953-1958), which numbered among its admirers Stephen Hawking and Colin Pillinger.

The ascent of Mount Ararat took place in 1857, while Gordon was leading a mission of the Royal Engineers ('sappers') to delineate the border between Russian and Ottoman Armenia. While he did not himself reach the summit of Mount Ararat, he did toboggan down it. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. She thanks him for 'the interesting account of your meeting one of the sappers who attempted the ascent of Mount Ararat with my brother'.

Large archive of material relating to the English branch of the Washington family, assembled by American authority S. C. Pinney, comprising manuscripts, typescripts, printed extracts and offprints, photographic and other illustration, and a small batch of letters to Pinney from the English Washington expert Thomas Pape. The collection in good condition, with no more than a handful of items aged or worn. Containing a mass of obscure and difficult to obtain material, from English and American sources, mostly dating from the first two decades of the twentieth century.A. Manuscript material: ONE.

Her nineteen letters from Mount Clare, Roehampton; Bacres, Henley on Thames; 20 Park Street [ London ] and Goldings, between 9 April 1864 and 27 December 1866. His seven letters from Ashburton, Newton Abbot, between 27 May and 19 July 1865.

£250.00

The twenty-six items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. His seven letters, all signed 'Hugh C. Smith', total 52pp., 12mo. Her nineteen letters, signed 'Constance M. J. Adeane', 'Constance Adeane' and 'Constance', total 114pp., 12mo. The correspondence begins on 9 April 1864, with her declining his proposal of marriage: 'Dear Mr. Hugh Smith | I have quite come to the conclusion that it will not be fair to keep you any longer in suspense for the chance of consideration & time making me change my mind – as it is quite made up.

Without place or date, but with note stating that it was written 'about the year 1829'.

£45.00

1p., 12mo. Addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Atkinson', and with contemporary note at head stating that the letter is 'To Mrs. Atkinson Grove end - about the year 1829', Grove End in Paddington being the estate of the architect William Atkinson. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor traces of stub adhering to one edge on blank reverse. He thanks her for her 'beautiful present' and informs her that he has 'secured 6 places in the front Boxes for to-morrow evening - and shall do myself the pleasure of bringing up admissions for that Number either to day or early to morrow morning'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed on second leaf to 'Wm Campbell Esqr. | Brook Street'. In good condition, lightly-aged. The letter begins: 'Had I been aware, before dinner, of what our friend Geddes has just informed me after dinner, - that you are at present a Batchelor, you certainly should have had no excuse for not returning with him to a friendly knife & fork in Mount Street'. He asks him, if he is 'quite alone', to 'come immeditely & lecture him for his remissness - & drink to his better behaviour - we are quite en famille with only Geddes'.

The prospectus is 4pp., folio. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper and creased paper, with slight damage to margins at foot of both leaves. Beneath the heading on the first page is a list of around 75 princes, dukes and lords, headed by 'His Most Gracious Majesty the King', under whose 'immediate patronage' the work is to be commenced.

[American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf; Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Mount Airy, Philadelphia; Western New York Institution for Deaf-Mutes, Rochester,]

Publication details:

Rochester, N.Y.: Western New York Institution for Deaf-Mutes. 1896.

£120.00

275pp., 8vo. With frontispiece and one plate. In poor condition, on aged and worn paper, divided into two parts, with only the loose remains of the printed front cover present, carrying a shelf-mark label. Uncommon: three copies on OCLC WorldCat.

15pp., landscape 12mo. With four additional pages of photographic plates ('Exterior facing south', 'The lounge', 'The dining room', 'A bedroom'). Stitched into grey printed wraps. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. The booklet includes a list of trustees and other officers, a descriptive text, the 'Regulations relating to the home', 'Form of application' (with two pages of 'rules', including 'CASES NOT ADMITTED') and 'Medical Report'. The descriptive text begins: 'The Home has been built and generously endowed by Mr. F. W.

[Sir George Everest (1790-1866), Surveyor-General of India, after whom Mount Everest is named; Mrs Mary Legh of High Legh; George John Legh; John Cole Everest]

Publication details:

The covering note probably dating from the 1840s.

£1,500.00

5cm. etched clear cut-glass figurine of the god Vishnu, for domestic worship. Wrapped in a 4 x 8.5 cm packet, made from a folded piece of 10.5 x 18.5 cm Whatman paper, with 'Penates' written on it in a Victorian hand (presumably that of Eleanor Avena Blackburne, see below). Both figurine and packet are in very good condition. On the inside of the unfolded packet, in the same hand: 'Penates from Nepaul | Mrs Legh of High Legh gave it to me who received 3 from Capt Everest on his return from thence'.

Six of Hunt's letters on House of Lords letterheads, three on letterhead of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and one on letterhead of the Royal Geographical Society, London; the ten dating from between 1962 and 1983.

£1,000.00

The collection contains 31 items and is in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Hunt's eight typed letters (three signed 'John Hunt' and five signed 'John') total 4pp., 4to, and 4pp, 12mo; his two autograph letters (one 'John Hunt' and one 'John') total 3pp., 12mo.

Letter dated from Buenos Aires [Argentina]. 19 June 1914. One card dated from the 'Hotel Cecil | Julio 8 - 1914'. The other two cards undated.

£120.00

The four items are in good condition, lightly-aged and with slight creasing to the extremities of the letter. The letter is 1p., foolscap 8vo. Willis writes that he is 'forwarding the report at the earliest moment practicable. If in any respect it should fail to cover the ground agreed upon, I will gladly supplement it to the best of my ability'. He is waiting for Anthony's instructions over his 'reports': 'I understood that you did not wish them sent by mail.' He ends by expressing his 'sincere appreciation of your courtesy during our trip together'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Worn and with a couple of pinholes. His correspondent's previous letter included a statement which Headlam would like verified: 'I dont think the ordinary customer is quite such a fool as that statement implies'.

Mount Vernon, Virginia home of George Washington, first United States President [George Eleazar Blenkins (d.1894), Assistant Surgeon, Grenadier Guards, and Member of the Royal College of Surgeons?]

Publication details:

Sketch made and leaf taken by Blenkins on a visit to Mount Vernon, Virginia, in 1840.

£450.00

While only a rough pencil sketch, the drawing is an attractive one, landscape on a piece of wove paper, 20 x 25 cm, with 'JESSUPS' watermark. In good condition, on lightly-aged and creased paper, folded into a packet for postage, with remains of red wafer. Beneath the drawing, in ink in a shaky contemporary hand: 'Lawn view from the backs of Mount Vernon | This is from the Orange Tree planted by himself.' The reverse carries the following note: 'I made the enclosed rough sketch of Mount Vernon the residence of Genl.

1p., 12mo. Fourteen lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He is sorry to have put Monkhouse to 'the trouble of writing', and hopes someday to show him his 'best etchings'. 'I have been exhibiting etchings at R.A. for about 10 years: and my published work has been very favourably noticed in the "Times", "Athenaeum" "Academy" &c. &c.' He is enclosing (not present) an article which 'the Gazette des Beaux Arts' carried on his work, 'so long ago as 1876'.

3pp., 4to. 74 lines of text. Originally a bifolium, but with the two leaves now separate. Good, on aged and lightly-worn paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'George P Morris Esq. | Cold Spring.' The reference in the letter to Morris having 'cut down the wood' around his property is ironic, given that he is most famous for the poem/song 'Woodman! Spare that Tree!' Hamilton begins by stating that he has seen 'Mr. Robinson', who will see Morris on the subject of buying Morris's house. Hamilton considers Morris's price of $8000 for his house 'very cheap'.

Five manuscript items, all in the same pencil hand. The name and address of Jean B. Maclachlan written twice on Item One indicates the identity of the notetaker. All texts clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper (but see slight damage to Item Two). Item One: Manuscript notebook. 12mo, 61 pp. Stapled. In original blue wraps, 'SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE'. Repeatedly and untidily stamped in red ink on front cover 'PLYMOUTH', with 'CAPTAIN, R.M. | ASSISTANT PAYMASTER' and 'ROYAL MARINES | PLYMOUTH'.

Large archive of material relating to the English branch of the Washington family, assembled by American authority S. C. Pinney, comprising manuscripts, typescripts, printed extracts and offprints, photographic and other illustration, and a small batch of letters to Pinney from the English Washington expert Thomas Pape. The collection in good condition, with no more than a handful of items aged or worn. Containing a mass of obscure and difficult to obtain material, from English and American sources, mostly dating from the first two decades of the twentieth century.A.

4to, 1 p. On bifolium of wove paper, watermarked 'J LARKING | 1804'. Nicely printed. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The poem is thirty-four lines long, beginning 'Hold, hold! What's this? No prologue to our play? | Down with the curtain - let it down, I say; | Let me go forth - I must, I will have way!' It is preceded by title and 'Noise and disputing behind the Sccenes. - The Curtain begins to rise.

The letter (8vo, 1 p) is foxed, but otherwise very good. Had he not been 'engaged for ten days past to dine three or four miles off with an old acquaintance', whom it is too late to disappoint, he would have been happy to avail himself of the kind invitation. Sends best wishes and prayers to the recipient's family, 'from the elder to the youngest'.